Beatles slept at Seattle's Edgewater Hotel 50 years ago; so can you- Monday, June 30, 2014

In 1964, the Beatles arrived in Seattle on Aug. 21 to play the Seattle Coliseum. Most hotels wouldn't house the moptops because they couldn't protect them from their ever-present hysterial fans, but the Edgewater Hotel did. Half a century on, the waterfront hotel marks its moment in the Bealemania spotlight with a Fab Four World Tour package for anyone who wants to relive the Beatles era.

"Beatlemania so consumed Seattle that the Edgewater had to install cyclone fencingaround the hotel to keep the screaming fans at bay," the hotel's website says. "Some fans even tried swimming across Elliott Bay to reach the Fab Four." The package starts with a night in the Beatles Suite, a 750-square-foot space in the refurbished Room 272 where they stayed. It has panoramic views of the bay, a living room, a dining area, a library and an in-room photo gallery of the group. Pictures include images of the lads fishing from the window of the room.

The Beatles 50 Years Ago Today : July 7, 1964 (Tuesday)

Studio E, Lime Grove Studios, London and Television House, London

Release of a new single meant more appearances on Top of the Pops. The Beatles this day taped mimed performances of three songs; the new A and B sides, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Things we said today", and also the title track of their new EP, "Long Tall Sally".

Brian Epstein had agreed that the Beatles would tape their contribution in Manchester on July 8, a few hours ahead of transmission, but then changed his mind. Instead, they were engaged for an afternoon taping session without an audience at Lime Grove Studios in West London. Immediately after, the Beatles were driven across town to Television House, Rediffusion's central London studio, where they taped an interview for transmission a few minutes later in Granada Television's Scene at 6:30 programme, discussing a Hard Day's Night.(A short clip was shown).

Also on this day, probably while he was at Television House, John gave an interview to New Musical Express news editor Chris Hutchins, although not for the paper. Hutchins had also been taken on as a freelance contributor to The Teen Scene,a new BBC radio series broadcast every Thursday night from 9:30 to 10:00 pm on the Light Programme. This particular interview - John discussing A Hard Day's Night for 3 mins and 27 seconds went out on July 9th. The Teen Scene had been on the blocks for some time, a pilot edition, not transmitted, having been compiled on February 27th. This had included an interview that Hutchins did with the Beatles at some point during their February 7-21 February US visit, when he travelled with them covering the trip for the NME.

They say it's your birthday! Happy Birthday for the week ofJuly 7 to July 13